23 Trains Cancelled, 20 Diverted As Gujjars On Quota Stir Block Tracks

Members of the Gujjar community continued to block railway tracks on the second day of their agitation today to demand implementation of the 5 per cent reservation that was promised to them by the Rajasthan government. Agitating Gujjars sat on railway tracks at Malarna Doongar near Sawai Madhopur, leading to the cancellation of 23 trains and the re-routing of 20 today.

The PRO of the Western Central Railway told NDTV that some cancellations may be restored if the situation gets better.

The blocked railway line in the West Central Railway connects Delhi to Mumbai. The Delhi-Jaipur-Agra line, however, remains clear.

North Western Railway (NWR) Chief Public Relations Officer Abhay Sharma said three trains, including Hazrat Nizamuddin-Ahmedabad, Hazrat Nizamuddin-Udaipur and Udaipur-Hazrat Nizamuddin were cancelled whereas Firozpur Cantt-Mumbai train was was diverted.

So far, no untoward incident has been reported due to the Gujjar agitation. "Our teams are alert and the deadlock may soon be over after today's meeting with the committee constituted by the government," news agency PTI quoted DGP (Law and order) ML Lather.

Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla started a dharna yesterday along with his supporters on the railway tracks in Rajasthan's Sawai Madhopur district, demanding reservation for five communities including Gujjars.

He said the government had promised five per cent reservation to the community in its election manifesto so the state government was liable to give the same "so that the people can return home gracefully".

Vijay Bainsla, another Gujjar leader, said they have been waiting for talks with the government since last 20 days on their demand. He said agitators blocked Jaipur-Delhi, Jodhpur-Bhilwara, Ajmer-Bhilwara highway on Saturday.

The agitation comes nearly a month after 10 per cent quota for the economically weaker sections in the general category in jobs and education was cleared by parliament. The move was introduced as a constitutional amendment, passed in parliament and enacted in a matter of days. 

However, the validity of the 10 per cent quota will be examined by the Supreme Court. The government has argued that since the bill provides reservation on basis of income, not caste, it was not subject to the 50 per cent bar.

The agitation comes nearly a month after 10 per cent quota for the economically weaker sections in the general category in jobs and education was cleared by parliament.

"We have a good chief minister and a good prime minister. We want that they listen to the demands of Gujjar community. It isn't an uphill task for them to provide reservation," an agitating member of the Gujjar community told news agency ANI.

The Gujjars say if 10 per cent reservation for the economically backward can be passed, then why not for them.

"We want 5 per cent reservation. The government hasn't responded to my request. So, I am going to start an agitation," Mr Bainsla told news agency ANI.

The Rajasthan government has formed a three-member committee comprising cabinet ministers Raghu Sharma, Vishvendra Singh and Master Bhanwar Lal to lead talks with the Gujjar community.

The Rajasthan government had assured the Gujjar community of 5 per cent reservation in a special category in 2017 after a bout of agitation. It had planned to expand the reservation for Other Backward Classes from 21 per cent to 26 per cent and give 5 per cent reservation to Gujjars and other castes. After the expansion, the total reservation in the state would have crossed the 50 per cent ceiling set by the Supreme Court.

The bill to this effect, which was introduced in the monsoon session of the state assembly in 2017, was put on hold by the Rajasthan High Court after an appeal against it.

The community has held four agitations for reservations from 2007 up to 2015, where they blocked rail and road traffic. In 2007 and 2008, more than 70 people had died in the clashes during the agitation. In 2010 and 2015 though, only rail and road traffic was disrupted.

(With inputs from PTI and ANI)